Monday Musings - October 18, 2010

1. Election season is in full swing. The candidates are buying up the airtime for campaign ads. I can't wait until the beer commercials return.

2. It seems that if I stop by the recycling bin on my way back from the mailbox that I wind up with a lot less junk in the house. And there really isn't all that much important mail anyway.

3. Last week something really miraculous happened--the miners in Chile were rescued after 69 days under ground. We need to remember that good things happen too and not get so focused upon the bad things happening around us.

4. I heard a compelling testimony about forgiveness during church yesterday--and it reinforced my belief that too many people are looking for revenge rather than freeing themselves from the trap of hatred and forgiving those who transgress against them. According to Lewis Smedes, "To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you."

5. October is more than half over--just yesterday it seemed I was complaining about closing the pool.

6. Passion. It dawned upon me that passion is what often separates successful people from those who are less successful.

7. Cars never break when it is convenient. And the corollary to that is that when you're running late and need to be somewhere, the gas tank is empty.

8. I wonder how many things that I think need to be done, really aren't all that important?

Birthdays and Football

It ha been a birthday celebration weekend. First Chris and then Jeremy celebrated birthdays. Although Jeremy's birthday isn't really until Tuesday--we went out with him and Nicole last evening to Fed Hill to enjoy some evening libations.

Today--mixed in with football, was celebration day.

The centerpiece was the cheesecake that I made for Chris.

We actually lit the candles twice so everyone could blow them out--well, Lucas just kind of watched. But they really had a lot of fun.

Then we ate cheesecake!

It was yummy and helped to soothe the wounds left by an ugly Cowboy loss at the hands of the Vikings.

Mostly it was good to have everyone together for another afternoon as we planned to start the week together.

Autumn Morning

It was a beautiful morning this morning.

I got to sleep in past 7am and wake up gently rather than to the blaring of my alarm.

I didn't have to be at the racquetball court or at work. It wasn't even like yesterday when I took the day off and wound up in Annapolis at the car dealership before 10am to get Chris's car fixed, when I thought I was going to have a completely different day.

Today was going to start differently I thought--yeah, I would be at the grocery store before 8AM getting the items I needed to make and bake my kick-butt cheesecake which Chris asks for as her birthday cake. We are having the party tomorrow during our Sunday family football gathering.

And then--another hour making the cake followed by hours of baking and post-baking activities associated with this labor intensive cheesecake which I noticed has 520 calories per slice. Ugh! No wonder why I usually have a slice as a meal and I only bake it once per year.

As I was doing all of this and taking Makayla out for her required periodic outdoor activities, I noticed a mum in the garden.

It is one that we put there because it came back after the winter in one of the pots and needed a spot to grow.

It was just spilling color into the world and doing its part to make everyone smile.

Much of the rest of the garden has already surrendered its color to the forces of cold and darkness--but this mum, cheerfully sitting in the front of the garden near the driveway, reminded me that the world is full of color and wonder--sometimes you just need to be open to seeing it.

The color is there--I know it in my head, but sometimes I don't let it into my heart.

There is a tree at the top of the street that is always the first to don its autumnal colors. And I noticed yesterday, that it had begun to fully transition from the green of summer to the orange and red of Autumn. The other trees here are not far behind now.

I still look out my window and see green, mostly. But by next week I expect to see yellows and oranges.

Colors of life to offset the quickening darkness--it is so dark now in the morning when I got to work and even when I play racquetball and come out of the gym I can only see traces of the coming dawn in the sky.

Colors that remind me that on the other side, there is springtime waiting to embrace me with its cool warmth and brightly colored flowers.

Winter is like a doorway--from this year to the next. It is a passage that I make every year, to get me ready for the similar journey I will make someday on my own.

I just need to see the colors and the joy that is there and not focus on the darkness.

I'm not afraid of the darkness--I just prefer the light.

And all of this from running out to the grocery store for cream cheese to bake a cheesecake.

Where did I leave my coffee?

Happy Birthday Chris(tina)

This is a special birthday card blog (yeah, I am buying a real card, too!) to my partner of too many years to count.

If you factor in that we were 15 when we met, that would make it about 40 years that we have been a thing! And we have been married over 35 of those 40 years. Which is waaaaay to many to think about on a regular basis.

Did you ever think about how we use words to describe people on a regular basis? Well, I did and I want to share a few words about my wife--

Anyway--Chris is the world's best Mom, wife, confidant, physician, psychologist, party planner, grandmother, friend, ER Tech, house vet, L&D volunteer, Offutt Aires member, animal rescuerer, turtle spotter, wine drinking buddy, beach comber, house cleaner, project planner, interior decorator, wily shopper, sister, daughter, aunt, sister-in-law, cousin, niece, grand daughter, civil rights defender, faith-filled believer, worship team member/leader, Dallas Cowboy fan, god-mother, adviser, and lover. (I'm sure I missed a few)

Now each of those words has at least one story attached to it--that I could never even think of trying to recount--but be assured--I'm sure you would agree with my assessment. OK, maybe that she is in the top 10 in these categories.

It is her day. Wish her Happy Birthday (and mean it!). And no, I'm not revealing how old she is or isn't.

Miracles do happen

Any questions? Just ask the miners who just were rescued from deep in the earth after 69 days.

Can you imagine smelling fresh air for the first time in over two months? To be in sunlight?

To see your family?

To burst from the earth after a ride up in a very small looking capsule and to be free?

It is a miracle.

We should celebrate with the miners, their families, and everyone who had a part in the rescue--and that latter item includes everyone who prayed for their rescue.

Some are calling it the greatest rescue since Apollo 13.

Wow!

Gap Filler Pop-pop

Other duties as assigned.

That is a phrase which is often associated with job descriptions to allow for flexibility in assigning duties and getting tasks done.

Yesterday afternoon I assumed the "other duties as assigned" part of the grandparent job description. I became the after school childcare gap filler.

I never really thought of myself as that--but in fact, the other duty was childcare with my oldest grandson, Ethan.

I re-planned my day to get to work a bit earlier so that I could depart a bit earlier to retrieve Ethan from the neighbor.

It was a beautiful day and I learned a lot about the parking lot at work at about 3pm. It is busier then than at any other time it seemed. It took me and extra 5 minutes to get out of the lot due to pedestrian traffic and cars.

Actually I was looking forward to spending quality alone time with Ethan. We have always gotten along really well and I remember when he was a little baby, I was the first person his mother trusted to watch him for an afternoon--I don't remember the details of that day--but he was a snugly baby and we spent a few hours asleep together on the sofa.

In short the experience yesterday was great for both of us--and I'm told he was really looking forward to time with Pop-pop. I hope I didn't disappoint him--and I don't think I did. We were pretty relaxed and things seemed to go very well.

I was nice when Nicole and Jax arrived--but E and I pretty much stayed on the sofa, chillin' and Jax joined us for a bit. Which was nice, too.

So for a few every other Wednesdays--E and I will be spending time together and the Pop-pop other duties as assigned expansion will likely be as enjoyable for both of us as it was today. Sometimes it is nice to be flexible and willing to try out new things--the results can be very rewarding.

In this case it was easy, just chillin' and spending time together with Ethan

Playing with Images

I was trying to get an image of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background.

They were very hazy in the distance on this glorious Sunday afternoon.

The image though, as I took it I knew would not come out very well.

So with my trusty computer in hand, I did some enhancement of the image to bring out the mountains a bit and give it a little artistic quality.

The mountains in the distance were beautiful. The landscape in between was showing the first signs of autumn, with trees beginning to don their autumn finery.

I was standing on the south balcony of James Madison's home at Montpelier. I worked hard to frame the image with the black walnut tree in the foreground.

It was all hard work.

If I was talented as a painter--I might have come up with something like this.

But I'm not.

So I get to enjoy playing with image manipulation programs.

It is still a memory, too.

Weekends Away

Some weekends are really special and reflecting upon them afterwards brings back fun memories.

I mean--9:15 am Sunday morning and I am in a winery sampling wine with Chris and four of my best friends.

If there is a better way to start the day, well it would be hard to imagine. OK--so out on a beach definitely wins hands-down, but this is a close second.

Grapes are beautiful.

Vineyards are relaxing places to walk and enjoy.

And of course, vineyards were not the only places we went on this beautiful Sunday.

We also toured James Madison's Montpelier to take in some important aspects of American History.

It was fun to see the changes in the house as the restoration continues.

But it was a great weekend--and we had a lot of fun and samples many different wines.

I highly recommend it.

Monday Musings - October 11, 2010

1. Happy Columbus Day. Columbus day became a Federal Holiday in 1937. Click the link and read about it--it may surprise you that it is not a uniquely U.S. holiday.

2. I bet you forgot it was a holiday until you went to collect the mail. Surprise--no bills!

3. Did you know there are 10 Federal Holidays?
- New Year's Day
- Martin Luther King's Day
- President's Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Veteran's Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas (yes, it is OK to say Merry Christmas!)

4. I enjoyed a weekend of wine tasting and history in Charlottesville, VA again this year. We had a lot of fun with friends.

5. The weather has moderated and is awesome. Don't forget to enjoy it. It may be the last before the dark days are upon us.

6. My dog was so happy to see me when we returned this yesterday that she has not left my side since. It was a little tough taking a shower--but we worked it out.

7. Well, we finished the bed exchange with Patrick and Tina. We received a queen bed as our guest bed in exchange for a full. It is now set up and ready for company. And yes--true to form, blood was spilled!

8. And so the week begins. Thankfully, I have a short week--I'm taking Friday off. Chris is off and it's her birthday.

Wine on the Vine

Started Sunday morning in the vineyard.

A beautiful day. Out with friends and sipping wine before 10am.

Afterwards it was off to Montpelier and James Madison's home.

The area is beautiful. The wines are awesome.

The friends are fantastic.